Oneida Common Council prepares changes to city charter

ONEIDA >> There will likely be at least three waves of local laws to push through changes to the city's charter.

The first will be considered by the council at its next meeting, July 2. In a local law introduced at its meeting Tuesday, the first round of changes are considered minor, administrative alterations that will not amount to any significant changes to the charter. Those items include language modifications like replacing "councilman" with "councilor," the word "may" with "shall" in instances where the council has deemed it appropriate and erasing outdated and unused terms.

The public will have an opportunity to voice its opinions on those changes at the July 2 meeting.

The next step will be changes that qualify for a permissive referendum. Changes that hold a more weighted impact allow for the filling of permissive referendums. Those referendums are not mandatory unless a qualifying number of residents sign petitions requesting that the changes being considered be put up to public referendum. If no one puts forth any petitions to do so, or are unsuccessful in doing so, the adjustments to the city's charter will be approved simply by the council.

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Things that could warrant a permissive referendum include changes to the city's practice of bidding services, awarding contracts, bonding and assessing property. It also applies to changes in the city's purchasing policy. The council already has plans to change that policy to allow the use of a credit card in the event of an emergency and to allow purchases to be made online if the price is more competitive than other retailers - a capability the city currently does not have.

Larger-scale issues will require a mandatory referendum that could be put to the public's vote in the next election, or during a special election. Those items could include things like changes to the city's ward boundaries, the administration's term limits or altering the city's form of government.

The council is scheduled to continue to make progress on its efforts to revise the charter and are expected to introduce a second local law with items that would qualify for permissive referendum at its next meeting.

The council decided to nix a property sale transaction after failing to hear from the buyers. The council approved in May the private sale of city-owned property on Lexington Avenue to Christopher and Nicole Baker, who live on Lexington Avenue. Since then the city has not heard from them in order to complete the sale and two written attempts, and one attempt by phone, have been unsuccessful. As a result, the property will remain on the city's roll and be eligible for sale again.

In other business, the council approved:

The appointment of Danielle Kroll, of Main Street, to the Recreation Commission.

A $1,609 budget amendment to reimburse the U.S. Marshal's Office and Investigative Agency for half of the proceeds from criminal seizures of property.

The reaffirmation of various city policies.

Councilors discussed several unrelated items at the end of the meeting. Fire Chief Gregg Myers reported to the council that a home near Glenwood Plaza will soon be demolished. Its owner has agreed to start the process, allowing the city to avoid any costs related to its demolishment. Acting Mayor Max Smith said the administration will continue to make efforts to ensure the city's dwellings are safe and habitable.

Homeowners have a responsibility to their neighbors and the community to keep their property in working order, he said. It's imperative that residents take pride in their community. While the council has allocated money in its budget to address concerns over failing structures, Smith said the city must maintain its housing stock.

Addressing the potential settlement with the state and Oneida Indian Nation, Ward 1 Councilman Brahim Zogby forewarned that the deal may mean the city's property taxes may increase significantly next year. If the city's compact with the Nation is invalidated as a result of the settlement and the city loses revenue from properties the Nation owns within the city, property taxes could be spiked by at least 5 percent next year, he warned.

The city's administration has received no guidance from any of the parties involved in negotiating the agreement. Zogby urged the council to consider planning to not receive any money from the county, as a worst case scenario.

Smith was also skeptical but hopeful that the county would remember that the city was an ally in its litigation against the Nation and take that into consideration when deciding how to dole out the proceeds of the deal.

Ward 2 Councilman David Cimpi also pointedly warned the city's department heads that, depending on how the deal plays out, they may be under even tighter constraints to limit spending next year, possibly even at the cost of personnel.

The council will hold a special meeting June 25 at 6:30 p.m. with the Oneida Rail Trail Committee to talk about the group's intentions and goals.

The council's next regular meeting is scheduled for July 2 at 6:30 p.m.